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When you change what's pinning at the hunter shows and what the hunter trainers are buying, it'll happen. There's nothing the racing end can do there. There are hundreds of OTTBs available for sale and with CANTER, FLTAP, and similar organizations pretty much no one can say they're unaware of it if they're in horses. The people with the money and therefore the power in hunters aren't interested, unless it's a mare with a functional uterus who could get approved by the warmblood stud books (which is no good for TBs.) Even in the equitation ring, what you see is mannered, slow, and perfect, not the fast, forward courses from twenty years ago when it WAS TBs.

Now, if they limited that half a million dollar 3'3" classic to OTTBs, you might get a sudden surge of interest. The hunters have to change what they want and start buying again, and unless there's suddenly huge money unavailable to warmbloods, a ban on importing stock or semen from Europe, or a drastic fashion shift in what wins, trainers can (and do) try to give OTTBs away and it won't help.

About all the JC and racing owners could do that would change things is get a kitty together to put up a huge prize purse or series for rated hunter/jumpers that's only available to OTTBs. Assuming they could find a show or series that would go for it.

You don't need to sell the idea of OTTBs to eventers (which is what Courageous Comet does.) They already know and are the market these days. You CANNOT sell the idea of OTTBs to high-level hunter riders because frankly, they want to win and a 15hh and change plain bay isn't going to light any fires. The dead-slow 17h WB who can jump 3'6" from a standstill is the gold standard. Mine That Bird isn't going to light the hunter ring on fire. Just be, at best, a curiosity piece. "Yeah, the pony hauling the adult ammy in the Long Stirrup? He won the Kentucky Derby! No, seriously."

Wow, some real anger here.

Frankly, as a hunter rider, I love TBs. I know a lot of people who prefer them. the new Hunter Derbies are changing the way people look at them too. I ride at a barn that has a mix of warmbloods and TBs. If it jumps well, and has the mind to be a show horse, then my trainer buys it - warmblood, tb or mutt. The problem is financial.

I'm not talking buying a warmblood vs a TB. I'm talking the financial impact a trainer has in buying an OTTB vs a warmblood or a non-raced TB. The OTTB has to have a year or two off in order to 'let down'. Then you have retraining. But the time you have that into a horse, before they even set foot in a show ring, you've got a minimum of two to three years into them as a prospect before you know they can even do the job. In addition, you have soundness questions. It's a far bigger risk than buying something that hasn't been on the track - warmblood or TB. So unless you have a farm to kick 'em out for a year or two, your investment is substantial. Eventers often have that luxery.

The warmblood breeders do all of that for us. They bring them up, get basic training, and we can buy a horse ready to go that we know will do the job. If TB people want to sell OTTBs, then provide some of the same services.

It has nothing to do with a warmblood vs a TB - it DOES have to do with talent to jump in exceptional style, and the brain to be able to do it without losing it. Some TBs can, some can't, same with some warmbloods.

So before you cast aspersions on all hunter riders, look at the risk they take in buying an OTTB as opposed to a young warmblood.

Yes there are people who prefer dumb-bloods because frankly, more people can ride them. But there are people who prefer TBs, but can't find them, because they don't have as much bone anymore, and are far to fragile.

I had a friend who bred to the TB stallion A Fine Romance. She crossed her 1/2 TB, 1/2 Oldenburg to this TB stallion. The result, a 3/4 TB is a wonderful sporthorse with an amazing brain. He's an incredible mover, and looks to be an amazing hunter. But A Fine Romance has much more bone than I would expect to see with a racehorse, and really looked like a sporthorse.

The hunters are much less about breeding. They are about preformance. That gran prix jumper that won the big class can be a 1/2 percheron 1/2 Lippizan. Nobody cares if it can do the job. Great, it won the Kentucky Derby? That doesn't matter to me if it can't jump?

That's why OTTBS are hard to place. Not because many of us don't prefer them, but because we can't find them anymore. We used to go to the track and find amazing horses. Now, it's getting harder and harder to find something sound, and the risks are greater than ever.

So before you blame Hunter riders that 'can't ride', look at the product you want them to buy.

About all the JC and racing owners could do that would change things is get a kitty together to put up a huge prize purse or series for rated hunter/jumpers that's only available to OTTBs. Assuming they could find a show or series that would go for it.

Frankly this is happening more and more. The HITS series in Florida has a TB division. The bigs shows in the West have always offered it.

With the advent of the hunter derbies, the whole look of hunters is going back to the 'way it was'. I've seen horses going from loping around (which has always driven me crazy) to moving right out. Courses and rings are changing as well.

In addition, the breeding has changed. Most of the warmbloods have changed so the most of the breeding is now infused with TB blood. Most of the warmbloods that are papered and looking more and more like TBs because of the amount of blood in them. There are several in the barn that you would not be able to tell the difference. 1/2 - 3/4 TB in many cases.

The race trainers are producing race horses. They have far less time, money, and space to put into the kind of layup and services someone breeding $15000 warmblood yearlings does. Not to mention that if they did in fact ask for the kind of money that would cost them, people would complain about the price tag.

And if the hunter derbies are getting rid of the stride-counting robot rounds, maybe there's hope to get back to something that looks like a HUNTer, who wouldn't drop dead in the hunt field or timber racing.

The race trainers are producing race horses. They have far less time, money, and space to put into the kind of layup and services someone breeding $15000 warmblood yearlings does.

So why should you expect somebody to come buy them if 1) they are race horses, not hunters and 2) they can spend more and get something ready to go and with some guarantee it can jump NOW, not after quite a bit of retraining?

Plus, you manage to put down the sport of hunters with every turn. If you don't like it, fine. Be my guest. But kind of insulting to the people you want buying the horses off the track, don't you think?

And especially insulting to those of us who really prefer TBs and spend the extra time and effort to take the path less traveled to purchase one, where there is a significantly easier, and less expensive path to a nice hunter.

For those who will be at Churchill's closing day you can see the special parade lap and send off for MTB: Per the DRF

Churchill has set closing day, Sunday, Nov. 28, as the date for a public farewell for 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird.

Leonard Blach and Mark Allen, co-owners of the gelding, will travel from New Mexico for the festivities, as will Chip Woolley, who was the trainer of Mine That Bird throughout his 3-year-old season. Jockey Calvin Borel also will take part in the farewell.

He will be vanned home to New Mexico and will live at Allen’s Double Eagle Ranch.

Calvin is expected to take part provided he's ok from his spill in the $1M Delta Downs Jackpot today (Sat Nov 20th)

The race trainers are producing race horses. They have far less time, money, and space to put into the kind of layup and services someone breeding $15000 warmblood yearlings does. Not to mention that if they did in fact ask for the kind of money that would cost them, people would complain about the price tag.

And if the hunter derbies are getting rid of the stride-counting robot rounds, maybe there's hope to get back to something that looks like a HUNTer, who wouldn't drop dead in the hunt field or timber racing.

(Personally, I disapprove of crossbreeding and diluting TBs.)

I vote for Mine The Bird becoming a ranch horse like Seabiscuit who was the riding pal of Mr. Howard and his wife. To Viney, what the heck is wrong with being in a paddock in New Mexico, that is where the good little horse was born and raised. He probably likes it there just fine! I felt very sorry for Funny Cide when I visited him at the Kentucky Horse Park. He was missing Robin something fierce and is not ridden at all supposedly because of a back issue. He was known as a very tough ride at the track and Robin rode him exclusively.

"We, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit." JFK

Production is set to begin in September on "50 to 1," an independent movie about 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) upset winner Mine That Bird.

Jim Wilson, who produced "Dances With Wolves," "The Bodyguard," and "Wyatt Earp" will produce and direct the movie, which will be in production from early September through October in various locations in New Mexico.

Wilson told The Associated Press that the project will shoot at various locations, including Sunland Park, where Mine That Bird finished second in the Borderland Derby and fourth in the Sunland Derby prior to heading to Kentucky. The film will also shoot in Las Cruces, Edgewood, Albuquerque, Bernalillo, and Santa Fe.

The New Mexico Film Office says that the production will involve 30 featured actors, more than 550 extras, and will employ at least 100 crew members from New Mexico.

So no movie on Exterminator, Forgo, Citation or heck even the bizarre but impressive run by Jim French in 1971 ... instead a few million spent on the saga of Mine That Bird. Lets hope tone of the Hollywood script isn't an 'awe shucks mame tale of some cowboys who showed them rich Easterners a thing or two about racing.'

So no movie on Exterminator, Forgo, Citation or heck even the bizarre but impressive run by Jim French in 1971 ... instead a few million spent on the saga of Mine That Bird. Lets hope tone of the Hollywood script isn't an 'awe shucks mame tale of some cowboys who showed them rich Easterners a thing or two about racing.'

Aw shucks Glimmer, you just blew the script! I think there is a movie about Exterminator, for sure there is a neat little book called "Old Bones the Wonder Horse", it is for children but I have it and love the drawings by Sam Savitt.

"We, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit." JFK

Aw shucks Glimmer, you just blew the script! I think there is a movie about Exterminator, for sure there is a neat little book called "Old Bones the Wonder Horse", it is for children but I have it and love the drawings by Sam Savitt.

This was one of my favorites as a child! My mom even patiently sewed, as my request, some green, brown and orange silks so I could be Exterminator's jockey for Halloween!

So no movie on Exterminator, Forgo, Citation or heck even the bizarre but impressive run by Jim French in 1971 ... instead a few million spent on the saga of Mine That Bird. Lets hope tone of the Hollywood script isn't an 'awe shucks mame tale of some cowboys who showed them rich Easterners a thing or two about racing.'

I think you nailed it. You should have written "spoiler alert" in front of your summary.

No word that I could find on whether or not MTB will play himself in the film, or do his own stunts.

I do wonder if they'll mention the DWL training days of 'Bird' with no results or even Chip's arrest of public urination? Each an embarrassing stunt in their own right.

As for Exterminator I sincerely would love to have his story told on the big screen. He was the epitome of a great TB who charmed millions and crush the hearts of his competition, young and old, year after year!

One very famous, hard knocking, stakes winning AQHA race gelding now belongs to an AQHA Director from my state and is his trail and elk hunting horse. I would not have believed it if I had not seen it.

Which one? I remember reading about it, but can't remember which horse it was!